Former names | Float Rite Park Amphitheatre(1981-2010) |
---|---|
Address | 715 Spring Street Somerset, WI 54025 |
Coordinates | 45°07′42″N 92°41′09″W / 45.12821°N 92.68576°WCoordinates: 45°07′42″N 92°41′09″W / 45.12821°N 92.68576°W |
Owner | Matt Mithun |
Type | Outdoor Amphitheatre |
Seating type | General and Reserved |
Capacity | 20,000 to 40,000 scalable |
Construction | |
Opened | 1981 |
Expanded | 2011-2013 |
Website | |
Venue Website |
Somerset Amphitheater is the largest outdoor amphitheater and camping venue in the Twin Cities (Minnesota) and western Wisconsin area. Located across the St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota) from historic Stillwater, Minnesota, the venue consists of 160 acres of land. Located in Somerset, Wisconsin and next to the Apple River, it has been a Midwest destination for many decades for music fans, along with tubing and camping enthusiasts alike. A typical season runs from May through October with music performances and other events. The layout is flexible, but typically there is seating on the floor and general admission (lawn) that surrounds the stage in a bowl like fashion. The total capacity ranges from 20,000 to 40,000, depending on the layout.
Previously known as Float Rite Park Amphitheatre, the venue changed its name to Somerset Amphitheater in 2011 when new owner Matt Mithun (of the Mithun family) took over. Since then many upgrades and improvements have been made to the amphitheater and onsite campgrounds. The amphitheater expanded the removable reserved seating area and built an enclosed Saloon with a bar for a more intimate setting with an approximate capacity of 1,000. In 2013 the Grove stage was added in the valley between the main amphitheater and the North Campground. The Grove has a capacity of approximately 10,000. There are three campgrounds onsite; the North and South Campgrounds, which are both general camping, and the VIP Campground which has electric and water hookups for RVs and permanent bathrooms and showers.
In 2011 the first Somerset Amphitheater concert under new ownership opened with a weekend full of music at the Soundtown Music and Camping Festival. Over thirty bands performed on the three stages, and featured the nationally known artist group The Flaming Lips as a headliner. This was a small yet promising preview of what the amphitheater would bring concert goers for years to come.
Since its reopening, the amphitheater has hosted many concerts and events, including the touring acts of My Morning Jacket, the first annual Knotfest featuring Slipknot, Summer Set Music and Camping Festival and The Avett Brothers. Besides musical performances, the venue hosted Tough Mudder, a British military style obstacle course and the Border Battle Beer Festival, a friendly rivalry of Minnesota and Wisconsin breweries battling each other for the most favored among taste testers.